Finding the right assistant can be a daunting task. Your assistant is your partner – they work closely with you daily, so your choice in assistant will greatly impact you and your company.
Finding the right assistant doesn’t have to be complicated. You can boil it down to 3 simple steps:
- Finding the assistant
- Vetting the assistant
- Equipping the assistant
Finding the Assistant
1. Online or In-person assistant?
Because of the pandemic, more companies are building their business with remote teammates. The same is for personal assistants.
Nowadays, you can find high-performing, fully-dedicated personal assistants who work remotely. In fact, some data suggests that virtual assistants may be more efficient than in-person assistants.
2. Where do I find the assistant?
You have a lot of options when selecting your assistant. You could source them from LinkedIn, Upwork, Fiverr, or a specialized assistant staffing company.
In our article on what to consider when hiring an assistant, we lay out a few things to consider when picking where you hire your assistant.
Here’s a short list of primary concerns:
- Do you want an in-person assistant, virtual assistant, or virtual Executive Assistant?
- What support network and resources does the service provide to your new assistant?
- How complicated and costly is the hiring process?
- Does the provider help with the onboarding and training process?
Vetting the Assistant
1. Do they have the practical skills for the job?
Consider:
What are your goals in hiring an assistant?
What skills will your assistant need to have to help you reach your goals?
Examples:
- They need strong grammar skills.
- They need to be proficient with Microsoft Office,
- They need some marketing background.
2. Do you have a compatible communication style?
Like any relationship, everything works better if you “get each other.” Having communication styles that work well together is a time-saver for productivity. Effective communication facilitates growth.
Numerous reputable assessments help you avoid time-consuming trial and error.
We use the Predictive Index Behavorial Assessment when making pairings for our clients. This specific test assesses the working and communication traits of test-takers and provides information about their compatibility with others and allows us to predict compatibility with improved ease and accuracy.
3. Do they have a compatible vision?
You want an assistant with a committed, resilient and positive attitude towards you and your business. They get behind your vision and are ready for anything that might come their way.
Incorporate guiding questions into your interview process:
- How would you respond in (challenging situation you would need your assistant to represent you)?
- What’s the most interesting thing about you that’s not on your resume?
- What was the last collaborative project you completed? What was easy and challenging about this project?
Consider questions that expose how the assistant may make choices and represent you when you’re not present.
Equipping the Assistant
Once you’ve found an excellent assistant with the right work mentality, values, and general skillset for your needs, there is still one more step. Even the most ambitious assistants need a helping hand to maximize their potential.
The most productive assistants stand out from their counterparts because they have exceptional support and resources.
In our estimation, a strong equipping strategy should include:
- Direct coaching from more experienced former or current assistants. This accelerates growth and helps your assistant avoid pitfalls.
- A peer-to-peer environment to share ideas, information, and challenges with fellow, high-performing assistants.
- An up-to-date and comprehensive library of instructionals and tools that equip your assistant to perform at their best.
What’s the Answer?
You are busy. It might be easy to see how this three-step process could play out, but do you have the time to invest in finding, vetting, and equipping an assistant? If you are anything like our busy founders, the answer is probably “no.”
Our founders, Ryan and Steven, have taken this journey already, and that they developed an optimized system for finding, vetting, and training ideal assistants that pair perfectly with their entrepreneurs (or business leader of any type).
We’ve created the easy button for hiring an assistant
Compatibility: We incorporate proven tests and guided conversations into the client onboarding process. We ensure we completely understand you and your needs.
Selection: We sift through thousands of candidates to find the ideal match for you. An EA who has the practical skills and personal qualities that match you and your vision.
Onboarding: We handle the entire onboarding process. Find, vet, and train your assistant. We take them onto our payroll, so the entire process is as hands-off and risk-free as possible. You just need to meet them and give your seal of approval.
Training and Support:
When you work with Superpowers, you gain more than an assistant! Each of our assistants receives unrivaled training and support from our unique-to-industry Curriculum, Coaching, and Community.
Want to learn more about our process? We happy to talk it through in short, no-pressure environment. Book a discovery call today.
We hope that this has helped get closer to finding your ideal assistant!
